We’ve been tackling fires as part of our Shields Ferry crew training
The Shields Ferry’s newest recruits have taken part in a fully immersive firefighting course.
Louise McDowell, from Hebburn, and Nathalie Zafirkovska, from South Shields, have taken on the course as part of their training to join the Shields Ferry crew - with the course providing them with vital skills for dealing with difficult situations such as fires at sea.
The training was carried out at the South Shields Marine School on the banks of the River Tyne.
The school has a fire ground with a specially enclosed facility for trainees to practice firefighting and casualty handling in a maritime setting.
Louise and Nathalie were put through a scenario that saw them both wearing breathing apparatus while they entered a bespoke three-storey steel structure (similar to the inside of a ship) after the instructors had set a controlled fire inside it.
Under supervision, the pair made their way down through the smoke-filled chamber from a hatch on the roof, recovered a casualty in the form of a 25kg dummy and then used a high-pressure hose to extinguish a pallet fire before getting out again with the casualty.
Speaking about the training, Nathalie said: “It was absolutely great. I enjoyed it very much. We needed to carry out a rescue from what was a real fire.
“It was hard. We had to push ourselves. At the end we had to use the hose to put down the fire before getting back out up the ladders with the dummy casualty.
“We had to work as a team and it required really good communication skills in order to work together while in the breathing apparatus in what was building full of smoke.
“I was so pumped up after it. I felt like I wanted to have another go. It’s been an excellent training course.”
Karl Hindhaugh, Curriculum Manager at South Shields Marine School, has praised both Louise and Nathalie for their efforts on the training course.
He commented: “The training that we deliver here is probably the most realistic training you are going to get in the country, if not the best that you are going to get with real fire.
“We were delighted to welcome the Shields Ferry’s latest recruits on to the course.
“We’ve had Nexus employees with us many times before.
“They enjoyed themselves even though it is quite challenging. They reached the standard that we require for them to pass the course that they carried out.”
Kevin Leonard, Customer Services Operations Manager at Nexus, has expressed how important it is for its Shields Ferry crew to be fully training in how to fight fires.
He added: “This is vital training for our crew. It forms part the competency they are required to get by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to allow them to operate the Shields Ferry.
“There are four elements in total and fire fighting is just one of them. They also have to undertake sea survival, personal social responsibility and first aid.
“All of our crew go through this training before they can drive our vessels.
“The fire fighting element is challenging. You have to be relatively fit because it can be quite strenuous going into smoke filled compartments.
“The crew do enjoy it. It’s something they undertake every five years. I’m delighted that Louise and Nathalie successfully passed.”